I have just called President Obama to congratulate him on his victory.

His supporters and his campaign also deserve congratulations. I wish
all of them well, but particularly the president, the first lady and
their daughters.

This is a time of great challenges for America, and I pray that the president will be successful in guiding our nation.

I want to thank Paul Ryan for all that he has done for our campaign
and for our country. Besides my wife, Ann, Paul is the best choice I’ve
ever made. And I trust that his intellect and his hard work and his
commitment to principle will continue to contribute to the good of our
nation.

I also want to thank Ann, the love of my life. She would have been a
wonderful first lady. She’s _ she has been that and more to me and to
our family and to the many people that she has touched with her
compassion and her care.

I thank my sons for their tireless work on behalf of the campaign,
and thank their wives and children for taking up the slack as their
husbands and dads have spent so many weeks away from home.
I want to thank Matt Rhoades and the dedicated campaign team he led.
They have made an extraordinary effort not just for me, but also for the
country that we love.

And to you here tonight, and to the team across the country _ the
volunteers, the fundraisers, the donors, the surrogates _ I don’t
believe that there’s ever been an effort in our party that can compare
with what you have done over these past years. Thank you so very much.

Thanks for all the hours of work, for the calls, for the speeches and
appearances, for the resources and for the prayers. You gave deeply
from yourselves and performed magnificently. And you inspired us and you
humbled us. You’ve been the very best we could have imagined.

The nation, as you know, is at a critical point. At a time like this,
we can’t risk partisan bickering and political posturing. Our leaders
have to reach across the aisle to do the people’s work. And we citizens
also have to rise to the occasion.

We look to our teachers and professors, we count on you not just to
teach, but to inspire our children with a passion for learning and
discovery. We look to our pastors and priests and rabbis and counselors
of all kinds to testify of the enduring principles upon which our
society is built: honesty, charity, integrity and family. We look to our
parents, for in the final analysis everything depends on the success of
our homes. We look to job creators of all kinds. We’re counting on you
to invest, to hire, to step forward. And we look to Democrats and
Republicans in government at all levels to put the people before the
politics.

I believe in America. I believe in the people of America. And I ran
for office because I’m concerned about America. This election is over,
but our principles endure. I believe that the principles upon which this
nation was founded are the only sure guide to a resurgent economy and
to renewed greatness.

Like so many of you, Paul and I have left everything on the field. We have given our all to this campaign.

I so wish _ I so wish that I had been able to fulfill your hopes to
lead the country in a different direction, but the nation chose another
leader. And so Ann and I join with you to earnestly pray for him and for
this great nation.

Thank you, and God bless America. You guys are the best. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thanks, guys.